A smash, off the court as well

Though PV Sindhu keeps stressing on the fact that her ‘life has changed’ post her historic medal at Rio, one can’t help but be pleasantly surprised at how she manages to keep herself grounded amidst all the attention and accolades she has been receiving.

The shuttler, who was recently in Chennai, was in a candid mood as she spoke to us. “When I arrived in India from Rio, I was stunned by the reception I got. I have never seen such crowds in my life. Even small children were holding my banners... it was surreal,” described the 21-year-old, reliving the magical moments.

It was not only the on-field exploits that made her visit to Rio memorable, she also got a chance to meet her sporting icons! “Apart from badminton, I like watching tennis. Though I was not able to get a chance to interact with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic due to the busy schedule, I made sure that I got a picture with them!” she laughed.

Sindhu also stated that one aspect about award ceremonies has begun exciting her — “I love shopping and dressing, but I never get time for all that. Now during these events, I can dedicate time for all that.”

With biopics being the trend in Indian cinema currently, Sindhu admits that it would be nice if a movie was made on her. “To be frank, I have not thought about it yet. I don’t have an actress in mind to play my role. But, it would be a good feeling.”

Having seen Sindhu perform dubsmash videos of Kollywood movies, we wondered if she was a Tamil cinema fan. “Well, I understand Tamil well because my mom grew up in Chennai. Though I can’t speak the language, I do watch Tamil films whenever I can. But, it’s been a while since I watched one — Raja Rani was the last and I really liked it,” she smiles.